Communicating Your Boundaries: Saying No Without Guilt This Holiday Season | The Joy Edit | E862

This Naked Mind Podcast

Annie Grace

Education, Self-improvement

4.7 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 December 2025

⏱️ 70 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ever walk into a holiday party and immediately feel like you need to explain yourself before anyone even asks? Reality check: you don't. Not even a little bit. In this episode, Coach Hayley shares her own messy, beautiful journey through her first alcohol-free holidays. She talks about feeling like she was under a microscope (spoiler: she wasn't), worrying everyone was judging her (they were mostly thinking about their own to-do lists), and that game-changing moment when someone said, "Hayley seems so happy." That's when she realized—this whole creating healthy holiday boundaries thing isn't about losing yourself. It's about coming home to yourself. Coach Hayley breaks down why defensiveness shows up (hint: it's your nervous system protecting you from shame), how to handle "just have one" comments without a ten-minute explanation, and why most people actually don't care what's in your glass. She introduces the Connection Compass, a super simple tool to ground yourself before any gathering by checking in on calm, clear, kind, and connected. Walk away with tips on navigating social pressure, keeping your favorite traditions while swapping ingredients, and showing up unapologetically as you. Whether you're worried about being boring, anxious about family questions, or just tired of feeling like you owe everyone a dissertation on your choices, this episode's got you covered with compassion, practical tools, and zero judgment. Coach Hayley is sharing more on: Why you never have to justify your choice not to drink, and how creating healthy holiday boundaries means honoring yourself What defensiveness really is (a protective response, not a character flaw) and why your only job is to be kind and honest Easy-to-use responses for handling "Why aren't you drinking?" questions, and how to gracefully change the subject without feeling awkward The Connection Compass: a four-direction check-in tool (calm, clear, kind, connected) that helps you prepare emotionally before holiday gatherings How boundaries protect and empower you rather than push people away Ways to handle cravings when they show up at parties, festive drink options that still feel special, and the freedom of leaving when you're ready Transforming FOMO into JOMO—the joy of missing out on hangovers, regret, and anxiety in exchange for presence, peace, and real connection And more… Episode links: Related Episodes: Why do we desire alcohol for celebration? - Reader Question - E266 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-266-reader-question-why-do-we-desire-alcohol-for-celebration/ Will I Ever Have Fun Without Drinking Alcohol? - Reader Question - E362 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-362-reader-question-will-i-ever-have-fun-without-drinking-alcohol/ The Cost of Fitting In - Alcohol Freedom Coaching - E785 - https://thisnakedmind.com/the-cost-of-fitting-in-alcohol-freedom-coaching-e785/ Ready to take the next step on your journey? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! Quince: Find gifts so good you'll want to keep them with Quince. Go to ⁠⁠Quince.com/naked⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns Hungryroot: Get 40% off your first box + a free item for life at ⁠⁠Hungryroot.com/nakedmind⁠⁠ with code nakedmind Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at ⁠⁠Shopify.com/mind⁠⁠ Aura Frame: Get $35 off Aura’s Carver Mat frame at ⁠⁠AuraFrames.com⁠⁠ with promo code NAKEDMIND Masterclass: Get 15% off any annual membership at ⁠⁠MasterClass.com/NAKEDMIND⁠

Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you ever wondered where you should begin on your alcohol-free journey?
0:05.0	Maybe you're curious, maybe you're frustrated with the cycle, or maybe you're ready to build real freedom once and for all.
0:12.0	Wherever you are, this naked mind has made it incredibly simple to find your perfect starting point.
0:18.0	Introducing the Start Here Quiz, a quick nine question quiz
0:22.2	designed to match you with the right next step for your unique path. Here's how it works. You click
0:27.6	the link, answer a handful of thoughtful, multiple choice questions, pop in your name and email,
0:34.0	and instantly get a personalized results page plus an email with tailored resources
0:39.5	to help you move forward with confidence. Your result will guide you into one of three powerful
0:44.5	paths. Curious questioner. If you're exploring and want clarity. Cycle breaker, if you're tired of the
0:50.8	loop and ready for change. Freedom builder, if you're ready to step into lasting alcohol freedom.
0:56.7	It's completely free, takes just a couple minutes,
0:59.0	and gives you real insight into what will help you most right now.
1:02.3	So if you're ready for a clearer, more aligned next step,
1:05.7	head to tnmquiz.com and take the start here quiz today.
1:09.6	That first click could be the beginning of your easiest change
1:13.0	yet. Welcome to the Joy Edit, a grace first guide to an alcohol-free holiday season. This time of year
1:21.3	can be beautiful and overwhelming. But when we lead with grace instead of willpower, something
1:27.3	shifts.
1:28.5	We slow down.
1:30.0	We breathe.
1:31.3	We discover that joy isn't poured from a bottle.
1:34.5	It's something we create from presence, connection, and self-compassion.
	...

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